FIG. 4 shows a prior art 6 transistor CMOS memory cell similar to the Intel 5101 cell. Transistors T'.sub.1, T'.sub.2, T'.sub.3 and T'.sub.4 constitute a cross-coupled latch that typically draws a steady state current of approximately one nanoampere. Transistors T'.sub.5 and T'.sub.6 are gating devices (pass transistors that couple the bit lines (data lines) to the latch when the voltage on the row select line (address line) is high (5 volts). The output signal Q is a logical 1 when N channel enhancement mode transistor T'.sub.3 is off and P channel enhancement mode transistor T'.sub.4 is on, and it is a logical zero when these states are reversed. Reading and writing are accomplished through the left and right bit lines. For example to read the data out of the memory cell in FIG. 4, a high signal is applied to the row select, turning on transistors T'.sub.5 and T'.sub.6. If a logical 0 (0 volts) is on node A and a logical 1 (5 volts) is on node B, the left bit line is charged to a lower level than the right bit line. These two bit lines are typically connected to a differential amplifier (not shown) that amplifies the difference in voltage levels on the bit lines. The amplified difference is then interpreted as a logical 0 or a logical 1, according to some design convention.
To write a bit into the memory cell, the row select line is brought high (to 5 volts) and the left and right bit lines are charged to opposite states by the write driver (not shown in FIG. 4), which drives node A to the same logic level as the left bit line and node B to the same logic level as the right bit line.
The six transistor memory cell requires two gating devices (pass transistors) and two bit lines to be reliably read and written. Note that the six transistor memory cell can also be implemented in NMOS. See Holt, Electronic Circuits, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pp. 293-294 (1978) which are incorporated herein by reference.